Nathan Thomas felt the Blades deserved to progress to the second round of the Carabao Cup, after recovering from a lacklustre start to beat Walsall at Bramall Lane on Wednesday evening.

Speaking after netting United's second on the night on his competitive debut, Thomas admitted United had been forced to work hard to overcome Jon Whitney's Saddlers.

On his goal and his role in the team, he remarked: "I arrived in the box at the back post and got myself a tap in and that's what the Gaffer was demanding of me because I was hanging back a bit in the first-half.

"It's an attacking wing-back role in this team, different to what I've experienced previously, but it suits me and I enjoyed the game.

"I always knew it would hard jumping up so many leagues, I wasn't expecting too much but I know I've got to take my opportunities when they come."

Thomas added: "We played too slowly in the first-half and you could see once we upped the tempo we created chances, so it's fair to say we got a bit of a rocket at half-time.

"In the second-half we went after it from minute one, we pressed higher and we moved the ball faster and we when did that the goals just came one after each other in quick succession."